“Silence” by Ships Have Sailed – A Song Feature

 

     It has been 10 years since Indie Obsessive first praised the television series Grey's Anatomy for its unequalled ability to select music that intensifies the emotional impact of its scenes. To be clear, we were not the first to recognize this ability, the show's strength for discovering and matching music to a scene to increase a viewer’s emotional investment is widely recognized. The show flexed that muscle again by matching “Silence” to a reunion scene during the first of a two-episode finale of season 19.
 
     The song by Ships Have Sailed is primarily used in the Grey’s Anatomy scene that is included at the bottom of this post. The match is not merely in the emotions, it is also in the timing. After the actress explains herself, she turns the scene in a more positive direction by momentarily pausing after “…but…” (at 0:52 of the video) and “Silence” guides that turn with a kick drum-driven upswing. Later, a false stop in the song (at 2:02 of the video) signals that the relationship has been repaired.
 
     Ships Have Sailed was founded by Will Carpenter, who is now joined by drummer Art Andranikyan. They are based in Los Angeles. Carpenter describes the band's moniker not as a pessimistic reference to the renowned idiom "that ship has sailed," but instead a fresh, positive perspective on the unexpected outcomes of unforeseen circumstances.
 
     In explaining the title and the meaning of “Silence,” Carpenter said:
  “As humans, one thing we have in common is the experience of loss. We begin to realize that our moments are never promised, and that can be both sad and empowering. I wrote ‘Silence’ as a reminder to find those moments of peace and calm amidst all the noise, and it is such an honor to have it used in such a powerful way to support a pivotal moment in someone else’s story.”    
 
     Carpenter has experienced loss. Events of the past several years brought a significant amount of grief. During the creation process leading to the 2022 album “Ages,” Carpenter’s mother-in-law (an early musical mentor) succumbed to cancer. This traumatic event combined with the stress of the coronavirus pandemic opened Carpenter to a new perspective on life and its consequential choices. His creative pursuits, as always, have been greatly influenced by everything happening around him, so it’s no surprise that these poignant personal losses (his mother-in-law and then his grandmother) resulted in his mind being “noisy.” Combatting that noise led to the powerful song “Silence.”
 
     The release of “Silence” was timed with the episode of Grey’s Anatomy. That partially explains why it was shared in the same month as a live album by Ships Have Sailed. “Live from Ojai” was released on May 5, 2023. It is available via most streaming platforms or can be purchased through Bandcamp – CLICK HERE.
 
     “Silence” by Ships Have Sailed

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shipshavesailed
Webpage: https://www.shipshavesailed.com/
Bandcamp” https://shipshavesailed.bandcamp.com/track/silence

Lyrics of “Silence” by Ships Have Sailed
The mirror falls
Broken shards
Find your calm and carry on
 
The house is dark
The shadows long
Whispered words to keep us strong
 
A fire burns
The candles glow
Quiet songs that give us hope
 
Close your eyes
Embrace the sound
Trust the silence when it gets too loud
 
Trust the silence when it gets too loud
 
Close your eyes
Embrace the sound
Frozen oceans of time
Trust the silence when it gets too loud
 
A final word
The curtain falls
Silence will embrace us all